Kookaburra
by tightrope-inthe-closet
Summary: Sometimes children find comfort in the simplest of things.


The sound had become a source of comfort for both mother and child. The first time she had ever sang the song, had been the middle of the night. Both Beca and Aubrey had tried everything they could think of to get their two-month old daughter to stop screaming at the top of her lungs, but so far nothing had hindered Grace's crying for more than a few minutes. In a final act of desperation, Beca began to sing the song her mother sang to her when she was a child.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry, Merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh,

Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

The crying had hushed, and Beca stared down into the curious eyes of her daughter, as she stood cradling

the infant and gently swaying. Aubrey sat on the bed and watched the scene, a serene smile gracing her lips. Within moments of Beca finishing the verse, the baby began crying again so she moved on to another verse.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

eating all the gumdrops he can see,

Stop, Koo-"

Her soft singing was interrupted by a loud wail. "Ok. Ok, new song."

"You are my sunshine,

my only sun-"

Once again the brunette got cut off. "Gosh, child, no need to be so rude. If you don't like my singing just tell me."

"Try that one verse of that Kooka-whatever song again," Aubrey suggested.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry, Merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh,

Kookaburra, Gay your life must be."

Once again the crying stopped, only to start again as soon as Beca stopped singing. "Just keep singing that part, babe. She likes it."

Beca continued singing the same line over and over again letting her voice fade in volume as Grace slowly slipped into a calm sleep.

"Goodnight, darling," she whispered as she kissed Grace's forehead and laid her in the bassinet located next to their queen sized bed.

"Look at that, you two have a song," Aubrey commented as Beca got back into bed and they cuddled together before succombing to sleep.

It was a restless night for everyone in the Mitchell-Posen household. Aubrey and five year old Grace had both come down with a stomach virus. Beca had somehow managed to avoid catching it, and was playing nurse to both blondes.

As soon as she heard the rushed footsteps moving towards the hall bathroom, she ran to help Grace avoid making a bigger mess than necessary. As she knelt next Grace and held her hair while rubbing her back, she softly hummed the tune of Kookaburra.

Once Grace was finshed and cleaned up, she held her arms out for Beca to pick her up. Beca gently picked her up and rested her on her hip, and began to carry her back to her bedroom. She laid Grace down on the Spongebob bedsheets and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Mama, cuddle?" Grace asked with a pout on her face.

Beca's heart melted at the sight of her baby girl asking her for comfort. "Of course, sweetie."

She laid down on the bed and wrapped her arms around her daughter as Grace climbed on top of her, lying down on her chest. She put the back of her hand up to Grace's forehead and could feel the feverish heat radiating off of her skin. In an attempt to soothe her restless child, she began to sing.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry, Merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh,

Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

As she continued to softly sing, Grace slipped further and further into sleep.

In the master bedroom, Aubrey smiled from her spot in the bed, as she heard Beca's voice through the shared bedroom wall.

The sound of the front door slamming brought Beca and Aubrey out of the kitchen. Sixteen year old Grace leaned against the door, tears streaming down her face. At the sight of their daughter so upset, both mothers took action. Beca moved to pull the teen into her arms, while Aubrey turned off the television and sent eight year old Sarah to her room.

"Hey, sweetheart, look at me," Beca coaxed gently as she led Grace over to the couch. "Tell us whats wrong, baby."

Aubrey settled on the opposite side of Grace and began rubbing her back. "She cheated on me," Grace managed to gulp out between sobs.

A wave of fury passed over Beca, before the maternal instinct to comfort overwhelmed her.

After sending Grace to lay down for a bit, the mothers quickly finshed dinner. Once Sarah and Aubrey were seated at the island bar with their meals, Beca carried a plate up to Grace. After three quick knocks, she entered and found Grace lying in bed, curled up on her side. "Hey, baby. I brought you some dinner."

"I'm not hungry," came the sniffled reply. Beca set the plate down on the dresser and layed down next to Grace. Grace immediately curled into her side, seeking comfort. Beca wrapped her arms around the teen.

"I never trusted that girl," Beca commented.

"I loved her. Why wasn't I good enough?"

The insecurity behind the question broke Beca's heart and she made a silent vow to find Grace's ex and kick her ass. "Baby, she's just an idiot. You are wonderful," Beca reassured with a kiss to Grace's forehead.

The two layed there in silence, Beca running her fingers soothingly through blonde curls. Without even thinking about it, Beca began to hum. Eventually, the humming gave way to actual lyrics.

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,

Merry, Merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh,

Kookaburra, gay your life must be."

That was how Aubrey found them an hour later. Both mother and daughter had drifted to sleep. Grace was still curled into Beca's side, her tear-stained face taken over by the peacfulness only found in rest. Aubrey kissed them both on the forehead and pulled a blanket over them. Beca's eyes fluttered open and Aubrey soothed her with a gentle kiss and told her to go back to sleep. Beca murmured out a sleepy "Love you" before succumbing to her slumber once again.

Aubrey grabbed the plate off the dresser and turned out the light before leaving the room and getting herself ready for bed.


End file.
